Chapter 87 - 87: Heavenly Dao is Demon Dao
To become an Immortal, there are three steps — cultivating to the peak of the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, passing through the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, and transforming all one’s Spiritual Energy into Immortal Power. The Immortal Ascension Tribulation cannot be passed quietly. One cannot cross the tribulation in just any secret place. If the secret place does not have the right position, the Immortal Ascension Tribulation will not descend.
Immortal Power is definitely manufactured from Spiritual Energy, but no one knows exactly how it is made. This is the basis for the existence of the Immortal Realm. It is impossible for long-living immortals to know.
“Old Buddha, tell me, how did you become an immortal?”
The Old Buddha’s light is restrained, his flesh is full, he has a lifespan of ten thousand years in the Transcendence Tribulation Stage. He should have been old, but now he seems full of vigor, as if he still has a lot of lifespan left.
Jiang Li has seen many ancient books describing immortals. He has also seen two true immortals, the long-living immortal elder and the Red Dust Immortal maiden. He can tell that Old Buddha has truly become an immortal.
Becoming an immortal in the Nine Provinces without going to the Immortal Realm.
Even without seeing it in person, Jiang Li was eight percent sure that the shadowy figure behind the scenes was the Old Buddha.
He first encountered a Divinity Transformation Stage elder of the God-hidden Cult, when the figure behind the scenes sensed something was wrong, he went to the Tianyuan Emperor Dynasty and killed General Che Wu.
Being able to witness all of this without Jiang Li’s knowledge indicates that the figure behind the scenes is proficient in the laws of space.
Ji Kongkong mentioned that the shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind General Che Wu and killed him, a cultivator at the Body Integration Realm, with a single blow. This indicated that the figure was either a peak cultivator at the Body Integration Realm or in the Transcendence Tribulation Stage.
Later on, the figure led Jiang Li and Ji Kongkong to the secret sanctuary of the God-hidden Cult and destroyed it. The calculated move showed the person behind the scene was familiar with Jiang Li.
The Old Buddha, as the second oldest person in the Nine Provinces, has been approached by Jiang Li many times for cultivation guidance, asking about the nature of past Human Emperors, seeking help finding the Immortal Realm, and scrutinizing the path leading to other worlds generated by the system…
And then there is the whole set of the God-hidden Cult, the proficient way of spreading the teachings indicates that the figure behind the scenes is familiar with the proselytizing methods.
Jiang Li had met Sun Yuan and heard Yu Yin talk about the battle with God’s Might General. Neither of these two displayed any spatial technique, indicating their unfamiliarity with spatial law. So, how has the space where the obliteration array is located managed to perfectly parallel the Nine Provinces World?
All these things could be explained by someone Jiang Li doesn’t know, who mastered the laws of space, a mighty being in the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, or a Heavenly Demon infiltrating the Nine Provinces. Therefore, Jiang Li believed that there was only an eighty percent chance it was the Old Buddha.
But now, seeing the Old Buddha has become an Immortal, that eighty percent probability turned to one hundred percent.
During the second ritual of the God-hidden Cult, Jiang Li saw a few priests kill a God-transformation stage cultivator and share the merit evenly.
At that time, he was wondering whether he could gain merit by helping to kill someone, or conversely – if every time the disciples killed someone, did the founder of the God-hidden Cult gain merit?
He had just made a guess then, but when he met Sun Yuan and then the Old Buddha, everything became clear.
The sect hierarch could indeed share the disciple’s merit, and even take the greater part, leaving only a small portion for the disciples.
The power of merit can transform decay into miracles, and it could irrationally transform Spiritual Energy into Immortal Power.
“Master Jiang, you jest. By serving the heavens and doing good, one naturally becomes an Immortal.” The Old Buddha smiles, acknowledging he has become an immortal. His disciples are shocked. Even his most favored disciple, Wu Zhi, is surprised.
Jiang Li steps towards the Old Buddha, his momentum rising with each step, as if he is a spear piercing through the sky, extremely sharp.
“I know that the Old Buddha has fought the Heavenly Demons many times, with outstanding war achievements and has done many good deeds. But I wonder if merit has been granted for these good deeds?”
Seeing Jiang Li in this posture, the Buddhist disciples all move out of the way.
They still have no idea what’s happening. When did the Old Buddha become an Immortal? And why is the Human Emperor angry?
“Kill countless, gain countless merit, Master Jiang, why are you asking when you already know?” Old Buddha clasped his hands together.
“Master Jiang is also proficient in Buddhist Law, why not see if I have any
Karma?” Old Buddha’s expression subtly changes. He seems to be smiling and crying at the same time.
Those who understand Buddhist Law would know that to practice it, the most important thing is to do good deeds and not kill innocents. Otherwise, Karma engulfs you, and the red lotus of Karma will sear your heart, causing unbearable pain. You would have to do a multitude of good deeds to absolve it.
The previous disciple accidentally killed countless people and was beset by Karma. Even a lifetime could not rectify the situation, leading him to become a devil from a Buddha, falling into the demonic path.
“Master Jiang, the sky is changing. The Heavenly Dao is now the Demonic
Path. ”
Jiang Li was silent for a moment. He wanted to rebuke the Old Buddha, yet he didn’t know how to do so.
“Why do you want to become an Immortal?”
The Old Buddha smiled faintly, as if laughing at Jiang Li’s silent mockery, and at himself: “Master Jiang, if I don’t become an Immortal, I would only have three more years of life left. I don’t want to die.”
“Doesn’t Buddhism preach the retribution of cause and effect in this life and the next? If you do good deeds in this life, you’ll enter the realm of Heavenly Beings in the next. Old Buddha, haven’t you broken through the cycle of life and death?”
The Old Buddha got agitated, no longer sitting in meditation, he abruptly stood up. He was tall and robust, more than two meters tall: “Next life, next life, next life! Of course, I haven’t broken through the cycle of life and death!”
“What’s the use of being a Heavenly Being in the next life and enjoying the ensuing blessings, if I am dead in this life? Dead!”
“Why should I do good deeds for the next life? Then what about myself in this life? Is the meaning of this life just for the next one!”
“Jiang Li, answer me!”
All the disciples were dumbstruck. They had never seen the Old Buddha this disturbed before. No, this could already be described as madness.
Wu Zhi clasped his hands together, his lips trembling slightly. His senior disciple, curious, listened attentively and found out he was actually reciting the Rebirth Mantra?!
“Since you live only for this lifetime, let’s settle the account for these nine million people.”
Jiang Li finally understood why the Old Buddha forcibly assisted Sun Yuan in activating the obliteration array. In theory, he could have transferred the location of the array, abandoned the God-hidden Cult, and started over.
But he didn’t have time.
As Jiang Li spoke, he kept walking until he stood before the Old Buddha, looking up at the elder he had once respected.
“Old Buddha, no one wants to die. You don’t want to die, neither do the nine million people of Tianyuan.”
“So, it really is like this.” The Old Buddha sighed reluctantly, “Jiang Li, do you
Imow why I didn’t tell you how I learned to get the power of merit from the Heavenly Demons after I got it? Because our ways of thinking are indeed different. ”
“Real Buddhism speaks of sacrificing oneself to save all living beings. I can’t do it. Only you, Human Emperors, can do it.”
Below Le Shan Country, the “R±” character is shining golden, extremely dazzling.
The Le Shan Country rapidly shrinks and appears in the Old Buddha’s hand. The people in the country have nowhere to be seen.
This is something that the Dream Dwellers could never achieve, even in their death.
The Le Shan Country was never real to begin with, the people were all illusions. However, these illusions were too real, they felt and reacted as if they were real, indistinguishable from reality.
Even those at the Body Integration Realm couldn’t see through the illusion!
A Buddhist Great Divine Power that combines the ways of illusion and space Buddha Land in Palm!